Grocery budget for couples in Switzerland: what do two people spend a month?
A couple under 65 without children spent on average about CHF 642 a month on groceries, meaning food and non-alcoholic drinks consumed at home (Federal Statistical Office, FSO, 2018-2019, before Covid); in 2020-2021 it was CHF 716. For planning, Budgetberatung Schweiz suggests CHF 550 to 700 a month, depending on net income: a guideline, not a measurement.
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Two numbers circulate, and you should not swap one for the other. Want to know what couples really spend? The FSO measured about CHF 642 a month for couples under 65 with no children in 2018-2019. Setting a budget? Budgetberatung Schweiz, the Swiss budget counselling association, gives CHF 550 to 700 a month in its 2025/26 examples, depending on net income. The first is measured, the second a guideline, so do not mix them.
Updated October 2026. Sources: FSO, Household Budget Survey, table T20.02.01.00.13 (2018-2019 and 2020-2021) and press release of 17 November 2025; Budgetberatung Schweiz, budget examples for couples 2025/2026 (viewed on 9 October 2026).
How much does a couple spend on groceries a month in Switzerland?
| Figure (CHF per couple) | Per month | Per week | Per person per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Measured, FSO 2018-2019 (couples under 65, no children) | 642 | 148 | 10.60 |
| Measured, FSO 2020-2021 (Covid years) | 716 | 165 | 11.80 |
| Guideline, Budgetberatung Schweiz 2025/26 | 550–700 | 127–162 | 9–12 |
Sources: FSO, table T20.02.01.00.13 (couples under 65 without children, two people, rounded); Budgetberatung Schweiz 2025/2026. Week and day are our own calculation: month ÷ 4.33 weeks (52 ÷ 12), month ÷ 2 people ÷ 30.4 days (365 ÷ 12). For comparison, the average household of 2.07 people spent CHF 638 a month in 2023, 6.2% of gross income; couples without children spent 5.0% in 2018-2019 (FSO).
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Why do the FSO average and the guideline differ?
| Couple’s net income | Food and non-alcoholic drinks |
|---|---|
| CHF 3'750 | CHF 550 |
| CHF 4'000 or 4'500 | CHF 600 |
| CHF 5'000 to 6'000 | CHF 650 |
| CHF 7'000 to 9'000 | CHF 700 |
Source: Budgetberatung Schweiz, budget examples for couples 2025/2026, monthly amounts; regional differences are not included. The period matters too. In 2020-2021 the Covid restrictions partly changed the structure of household budgets (FSO): couples spent CHF 716 a month on groceries instead of 642, and CHF 553 on restaurants and accommodation instead of 769. That is why 2018-2019 stays the reference. The 2022-2024 series is announced for November 2026.
What does a couple’s grocery budget include, and what does it leave out?
Both the FSO measure and the guideline cover food and non-alcoholic drinks consumed at home. Not included are restaurants and accommodation (CHF 769 a month in 2018-2019), alcohol and tobacco (CHF 128) and, for Budgetberatung Schweiz, hosting guests. Cleaning products, personal care and waste disposal are a separate line, CHF 50 to 100 a month: if you count them as groceries, add them to the guideline figure in the table. To split these items between two people, see the guide to splitting grocery costs as a couple.
How can a couple stay on budget?
Pick a figure together before you shop and check it at the end of the month. No step guarantees a saving: what changes depends on what you eat.
- Choose the figure together. Take the guideline that matches your joint net income; the FSO average shows where the couple stands.
- Plan four or five dinners and write one list. The method is in the guide to meal planning in Switzerland, and a shared shopping list stops you both buying the milk. Look at the offers before you write the list, not in front of the shelf.
- Add up the receipts at the end of the month. Take out cleaning products and alcohol, then compare the total with your figure. For the amounts per week and per day, see the guides to the weekly grocery cost and the food cost per day.
How do you find your own couple’s figure?
Add up a whole month of receipts, yours and your partner’s: it is more reliable than any average, and you can start today. Photograph this week’s receipts or upload them from your gallery, and enter purchases without a receipt by hand. Rappn is a free Swiss app (iOS and Android) that compares the current promotions of seven Swiss retailers and turns receipts into a spending overview: it sorts your purchases into categories and shows your spending by month, next to your own monthly average. It covers only groceries, not rent, health insurance or taxes. Other household sizes are in the grocery budget table by household size.
If you want your own figure rather than an average, the free Rappn app imports the receipts of three big Swiss supermarkets’ loyalty programmes, up to 12 months back, and you add the others by photo; it then shows your spending by category and by month. You need a Rappn account and must be an adult; the programmes’ terms still apply and the operator can restrict the link (how linking works).
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a couple spend on groceries a month in Switzerland?
About CHF 642 a month for couples under 65 without children in 2018-2019 (Federal Statistical Office, FSO) and CHF 716 in the Covid years 2020-2021. For planning, Budgetberatung Schweiz suggests CHF 550 to 700 a month (2025/26 budget examples): the first figure is measured, the second a guideline.
How much should a couple budget for groceries?
CHF 550 to 700 a month according to Budgetberatung Schweiz (2025/26 examples): CHF 550 on a net income of CHF 3'750 a month, CHF 600 on 4'000 or 4'500, CHF 650 on 5'000 to 6'000 and CHF 700 on 7'000 to 9'000, without 13th-month pay. Restaurants, guests and alcohol are not included.
How much do a couple’s groceries cost per week and per day?
About CHF 148 a week and CHF 10.60 per person per day on the FSO average for 2018-2019 (CHF 642 ÷ 4.33 weeks; ÷ 2 people ÷ 30.4 days, our calculation). The Budgetberatung Schweiz guideline works out at CHF 127 to 162 a week.
Why does this page quote 2018-2019 figures rather than today’s?
The FSO publishes household types only for pooled years: 2018-2019 are the last years before Covid, and the 2022-2024 series is announced for November 2026. For all households together the latest figure is CHF 638 a month for 2.07 people (2023). From December 2020 to December 2025 food and non-alcoholic drinks became 4.1% more expensive. In September 2026 they cost 1.0% less than a year earlier (FSO, consumer price index). So read the CHF 642 as an order of magnitude.
How can we keep track of our grocery spending as a couple?
Add up a whole month of receipts, by hand or with the free Rappn app: you photograph a receipt, upload it from your gallery or enter the purchase by hand, and the app shows your spending by category and by month, next to your own monthly average. In the same app you can share a list and edit it together.